Tomorrow We Go to Matlock
by elvenwanderer
Summary: This "what if" stems from the 2005 movie and a broad P&P fanfiction presumption. During their conversation at Pemberley, Darcy found out the Gardiners and Elizabeth were traveling to the next day to Matlock. Knowing this, Darcy didn't ask them to meet Georgiana the next day. Instead, he rather wanted Elizabeth to meet his Matlock relations, and happiness ensues.
1. Part 1

Premise: What if Elizabeth and the Gardiners actually _did_ go to Matlock? This "what if" stems from the 2005 movie and a broad P&P fanfiction presumption that the Earl of Matlock is Darcy's uncle. Though he went to the Lambton Inn, Darcy didn't ask the family to dine at Pemberley with his sister. He rather wanted Elizabeth to meet his Matlock relations, hoping that the Gardiners and Elizabeth would wish to tour Matlock house. This is going to be a happyfic.

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_"Er... tomorrow we go to Matlock."_

_"Tomorrow?!"_

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"Elizabeth, my dear, what do you say to touring the Matlock house today?" Mr. Gardiner asked his niece as their carriage approached the end of the turnoff for the property. Normally, he would have assumed she wanted to go, but after how confused she had been the day before when Mr. Darcy appeared at Pemberley, he didn't want to make the same assumption twice. "I've heard it has a very nice position around a lake," Mr. Gardiner commented, his mind ever wandering to fish and fishing. "Besides, I've never toured an Earl's home."

Elizabeth sorely wanted a diversion from Mr. Darcy and Pemberley, two things that had stayed in her thoughts all of the previous evening and so far that day. She had barely been able to sleep the night before either. She nodded quickly, hoping that the Matlock house, Bradbourne Hall, the country home of the Earl of Matlock, would be sufficiently grand enough to force Pemberley from her mind.

And so the carriage rolled down the drive to the Hall through landscapes very similar to Pemberley in style and the overall splendor. Elizabeth liked the grounds very much and thought very highly of the style of the Matlocks, though somehow thought the various gardens and trees not quite as beautiful as the ones from the previous day.

Coming upon the house itself, they found it situated on the side of a hill overlooking a long lake. The house was situated so that the face of the house on the approach had one fewer stories than the face that viewed the lake. The house was a lovely brownstone with many tall windows and a grand entrance with a wide arching portico situated in the middle. Their driver stopped them under the portico and the Gardiners were surprised to find a quaint looking man and woman standing outside of the door, three footmen behind them. The woman was well dressed, though she was quite clearly not the lady of the house, as she stood next to equally well dressed, but not flashy, gentleman. They did not appear unhappy to see unannounced visitors, as had happened at one of the great houses the Gardiners and Lizzy stopped at a few days previous. "Good afternoon!" Mr. Gardiner greeted them with a smile. "My name is Edward Gardiner. This is my wife Mrs. Madeline Gardiner and our niece Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We wish to enquire if the house is open to tour today?"

"Good day to you as well, sir," the woman said with a bright smile and a curtsy. She seemed as welcoming as Mrs. Reynolds had been. "My name is Mrs. Rochester, and I am the head housekeeper for the Matlocks. This is my husband, Mr. Rochester, Lord Matlock's steward. It is a pleasure to meet you; you are expected, please do come in and follow me." The three footmen, impeccably dressed in matching red and gold livery, stepped outside to assist the gentleman and two ladies out of the carriage, placing a small box next to the door for them to step down upon.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner shared a significant and surprised look with one another before glancing at their niece, who had gone pale and looked relatively faint. They thought Elizabeth must have another, far more surprising, Derbyshire connection, but it was clear from her reaction that she did not claim an acquaintance with anyone in that house. Finding it would be incredibly rude to leave now and frankly quite intrigued, Mr. Gardiner stepped out of the carriage and allowed the footmen to help his wife and niece. Elizabeth looked quite shaken, though she was comporting herself well as she stepped down. She took her Uncle's arm that was left unoccupied by his wife, an odd gesture as she normally chose to walk alone. He took it as a sign of how nervous she actually was.

Elizabeth had met the Lady Catherine de Bourgh with indifference, and she had known that the woman was Mr. Darcy's Aunt. Lady Catherine was titled, yes, but she and everyone in her employ were so haughty and ridiculous that Elizabeth had been able to laugh at their absurdity without feeling intimidated. After yesterday's coincidental and awkward meeting with Mr. Darcy and seeing his delicate sister play the pianoforte (the same song she herself had played at Rosings!), Elizabeth had not yet been able to come to terms with her emotions.

The three followed the Rochesters towards the back of the grand entryway. Though they had meant to tour the home, at the surprise of their presence being anticipated, all three of them found it rather trying to look at anything around them other than what was straight ahead. How were they expected there?

They went down a winding set of marble stairs that brought them into what had to be a ballroom (Elizabeth found out later it was the smaller, better furnished of the two in the house). There were many fine paintings, framed mirrors and tapestries hanging on the walls and the floor shone in the early afternoon sunlight. Through the large windows that made up most of the wall at the far end, the glistening lake could be seen. Elizabeth found this view wonderful and thought how grand it would be to attend a ball in that room with her Aunt and Uncle, the greatest aspect of the room facing out over the lake at sunset. Thinking of such, she blanched at remembering, had she chosen it, she could have been the Matlock's _nearest_ _neighbor._ She then thought of how marriage to Mr. Darcy would have actually precluded her inviting her Aunt and Uncle, and this saved her from feeling something very like regret.

The Rochesters veered towards one of the back doors, and another set of footmen opened them outwards, admitting the Rochesters, Gardiners and Elizabeth onto a wide brick-paved veranda that overlooked the lake. Slightly blinded by being outside in the sun again, Elizabeth blinked for a few moments to acclimate to the light. The Rochesters apparently anticipated this, waiting obligingly before moving forwards again. They walked to the edge of the veranda then down another flight of steps to a lower deck to where a number of people were seated around small tables playing cards, chatting quietly or reading. Mr. Rochester announced them and the gathered people stood up to greet them. Upon hearing Elizabeth's name, two voices called simultaneously: "Miss Elizabeth!"

Mrs. Gardiner squeezed her husband's arm, a gesture that Mr. Gardiner transmitted to his niece. Elizabeth recognized the man's voice that had said her name, shadowed by a younger lady's voice that she did not know. Looking around, she found Colonel Fitzwilliam grinning at her. That explained things! She knew he was the son of an Earl, but had not known he was the son of _this_ Earl. Miss Georgiana Darcy was standing next to him and was grinning even wider than her cousin. Not surprisingly, Elizabeth spied Mr. Darcy standing not far from his sister, a small smile on his face as well.

Elizabeth felt slightly ambushed, but she also felt her courage rising at seeing Mr. Darcy's kind face smiling at her in addition to that of his cousin and sister. "Mr. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet," Darcy said, stepping forward with a bow. As the only one of the family who knew all three of the guests, he was able to make the introduction. He gestured to each of the now standing and smiling people in turn. "Let me present my uncle Andrew the Earl of Matlock, my Aunt the Lady Penelope, my cousin Viscount Branden and his wife Lady Sophie, my cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam and my sister Miss Georgiana Darcy."

The three newcomers bowed and curtsied as appropriate for meeting an Earl, and Mr. Gardiner expressed their honor and gratitude in an eloquent manner. He was well aware of the great distinction it was for a Londoner and his wife whose living was in trade to meet members of the peerage as guests in their own country home. Proud of her uncle's speech, Elizabeth was very glad to have at least some members of her family that she did not need to be ashamed of.

"Welcome to Bradbourne Hall," the Earl replied with a bow and a smile. He normally did not meet tradesmen, but immediately found this one to be not disagreeable. "Please, make yourselves to home here." He now looked specifically at Elizabeth, and his eyes were not unkind. "My nephew and son speak very highly of you," here his look became quite mischievous and he glanced at Darcy, "especially my nephew."

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This is far less polished than my other P&P stories, and for that I apologize. If I don't hit the "publish" button, I'll keep editing it and my presentation for this week really won't get done. I want to continue this for one or two more chapters but won't for some time yet, as it is quite similar to my other fic, One More Day and really, I can't juggle three stories at a time. Do please let me know what you think!


	2. Part 2

Thank you everyone for reading this! Again, this is supposed to be a happyfic. This is intentionally to make people smile. I hope it is doing its job.

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Mr. Darcy had the grace to blush in front of his Uncle at the mention of his correspondence and his little ploy. Elizabeth glanced over at him, barely able to hide a smile at seeing the man thus treated. Mr. Darcy, the Master of Pemberley teased by an Earl! It took her a mere moment further to realize that she was indeed the cause of the jest before she blushed brightly as well. She looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her out of nerves.

Elizabeth looked upwards again, now meeting the Earl's eyes. His face was warm and engaging but Elizabeth found herself addressed by the Lady Penelope. "Miss Elizabeth, my husband was certainly not meaning to embarrass you so upon our first meeting. What you should think of us!" The Earl quirked an eyebrow at his wife, and Elizabeth decided she could easily like them.

The Colonel cleared his throat, clearly amused by the whole situation. "Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth, may I offer you some refreshments?" He gestured to a table nearby, grabbing his own glass from near his seat and pouring himself more lemonade. Apparently, as there were no servants present to pour the drinks, this was what the entire family did. It was a very non-pretentious thing that Elizabeth did not expect, rather thinking that they would have servants for every beck and call. All three of the guests accepted a glass of lemonade from the Colonel, as the day was warm.

To Darcy's dismay and with a waggled eyebrow at his cousin Fitzwilliam took Miss Elizabeth's free arm and guided her to sit near Lady Penelope. The card party had stalled upon their arrival and the Countess' desertion in a desire to speak to Elizabeth, but Viscount Andrew asked Mrs. Gardiner if she wished to play in the Lady Penelope's stead. Elizabeth was momentarily worried that such wealthy people would be playing at higher stakes than the Gardiners could afford and that such an invitation as this was a slight, but upon looking at the table, she saw no money and no indication that the game ever required any. Instead it seemed to be a logic game, something she knew her Aunt would enjoy. She seemed a little blustery as she claimed not to know the rules, but agreed nonetheless at the warm insistence of the Viscount, his wife and Georgiana at their promise to teach her. Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth were drawn into conversation with the remainder of the party. Elizabeth found herself deposited by the Colonel into a seat under a shade near to the Lady Penelope. She was on one end of a small wooden settee that had comfortable cushions, with Mr. Darcy seated at the other end of it. He caught her glance and gave her a small smile again. She blushed lightly, seeing through the Colonel's plan. Mr. Darcy was speaking with Mr. Gardiner, his Uncle and cousin but was often distracted by the fact that Elizabeth had been seated so near to him and he was currently unable to talk to her. No, it seemed his family was conspiring against him and Elizabeth, but only in an effort to get to know the lady and her family. He knew what they were about and knew the only way to the end was to plow straight through. He settled into the conversation.

Lady Penelope was a very good conversant and Elizabeth found herself enjoying speaking with her. The Lady had a pleasant countenance, her regal appearance covering an intelligence and wit very much like Elizabeth's own. They began with the common pleasantries, including the weather and how their trips to the north had gone, as the Fitzwilliams and Darcys had just travelled home after attending a wedding in Town. From here, they moved on to speaking of their respective families. The Countess asked Elizabeth if she had any siblings.

"I am the second of five sisters, Lady Penelope," Elizabeth said with some trepidation, remembering the last time this had come up in conversation with a Lady, though she suspected Lady Penelope was nothing like her sister-in-law.

Lady Penelope looked thrilled at such a disclosure, however. "You have _four_ sisters, Miss Elizabeth? And you but the second! How wonderful that must be to never have a quiet house." The Lady looked around at her small family gathering, swelled pleasantly by the addition of the Darcys as well as the Gardiners and Miss Elizabeth, recalling fondly her own childhood in a family of eight.

Elizabeth smiled. No indeed, her small home was rarely ever quiet. "I will say that silence is something highly prized in such a house. Times are few and far between when I have much time to myself."

"I am a second daughter as well, Miss Elizabeth, and my elder sister has always been the quiet and kind one. I am of a more mischievous bent," the Lady confided with a knowing smile.

"Perhaps it was to make up for all of her goodness?" The Lady and Elizabeth laughed. "My elder sister, Jane, is an angel. She is always seeing the best in everyone, she and I have always been very close."

"That sounds much like Elinor and myself. I do miss her very much, but I find the distance between London and Derbyshire not insurmountable. She and her husband come to visit us often when we are not residing in Town." Elizabeth cocked her head at these words, wondering slightly if they were directed at her. The Lady continued, "I should very much like to meet your family, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth knew this _was_ meant for her and blushed at the implication.

"I'm sure that they would be honored to meet you, Lady Penelope," Elizabeth said quietly. She looked over at Mr. Darcy, who was very involved in his own conversation, but seemed to have an ear for hers as well. The Lady smiled at Elizabeth and moved onto another similar vein of conversation.

"I feel I should apologize, Miss Elizabeth that you must find our family so quietly situated today. I understand from William how much you both appreciate pursuits that are not necessarily seated." This was kindly meant, but Elizabeth could not help but hear the joint reference to her and Mr. Darcy.

"I do enjoy walking, my Lady, but travel can be tiring. I find conversation and similar pursuits not entirely disagreeable." The Lady smiled at this and reached over and patted Elizabeth's hand before grasping it in her own. "As I mentioned, Miss Elizabeth, we are not normally a family to sit still so long, as you may have guessed."

"Thank you for accepting visitors so soon after you arrived then, milady," Elizabeth managed. She took a sip of her lemonade, appreciating the cool tartness of the drink and the necessary pause in the conversation. Elizabeth glanced over at Mr. Darcy, finding him and his cousin looking on as Mr. Gardiner and the Earl discussed a recent bill that was making its way through Parliament. This piece of legislature would have significant effects on the lives of tradesmen and the gentry alike. The Earl was clearly impressed by the quality of Mr. Gardiner's arguments and was countering well. Both men would leave the conversation with a better understanding of the other's viewpoint and with a promise to continue another time.

Lady Penelope gathered Elizabeth's attention again. "My nephew told us you and the Gardiners were touring the area and how he hoped you would stop here today." She leaned in slightly, Elizabeth doing the same obligingly. "Do not fret, my dear. My husband and I approve of you."

Elizabeth paled somewhat, but managed to keep her overall composure and smile at the Lady who gave Elizabeth's hand a light squeeze. She let it go and straightened up and asked with a kind nonchalance how much longer the Gardiners could spend in Derbyshire and if they would be willing to stay at Bradbourne as guests of the Earl. Before answering, Elizabeth looked to find her Aunt laughing with the Viscountess and her Uncle still deep in conversation with the Earl, and with a gracious smile at the Lady Penelope accepted on their account. Though she wished to appear calm, Elizabeth was really quite shocked at the invitation.

If the Countess were to be asked, she would not admit to testing Miss Elizabeth's fortitude under pressure, but in any case she was pleased at the girl's ability to quickly compose herself if surprised. Lady Penelope was also very satisfied with her ladylike reactions and skill at carrying conversation. With some new, somewhat better fitting dresses and an appropriate husband, she would do nicely in the face of the Ton. With a smile, and another pat of Elizabeth's hand, the Lady stood and beckoned for Elizabeth to continue sitting while commenting she would go have Mrs. Rochester prepare rooms. She walked past her husband, trailing a hand across his shoulder and stopped to have him escort her towards the house. Elizabeth watched their interaction, pleased to find real affection between the Earl and his wife. She looked back down at her folded hands, taking the moments of silence to attempt to figure out what had happened so far that day.

"Miss Elizabeth?" She looked up to find Mr. Darcy watching her intently. He stood up from the sofa and bowed over her hand. "Would you wish to walk with me? I believe we could stay along the edge of the lake for some distance and be properly chaperoned without anyone else feeling inconvenienced." He gestured out over the glittering lake. "This deck provides a good view." With a shy smile, she allowed him to help her up and tuck her hand around his arm.

In a rather unladylike display, Georgiana grabbed Mrs. Gardiner's hand across the card table and bounced silently in her seat in her excitement at seeing her brother and Miss Elizabeth walk away together. Mrs. Gardiner laughed at the girl's exuberance and squeezed her hand in agreement before letting it go. The Viscount and Viscountess followed Georgiana's gaze with indulgent smiles. They were not as aware of Darcy's past with the lady as the others, but recognized quickly what the Earl and his Lady were at by inviting the Gardiners and Miss Bennet to stay there. They quite liked Mrs. Gardiner so far, and knew it was far to the woman's credit that Georgiana should warm to her so quickly as well.

Elizabeth was glad to be able to stretch her legs; sitting in the carriage so long recently had started to work on her nerves and gorgeous as the countryside was she was happy to be moving under her own power. She found Mr. Darcy's presence at her side a little confusing; she both appreciated his presence and guessed that it was his doing that she and her family were being so well treated. Her heart whispered it was all for her sake.

"Mr. Darcy…"

"Miss Elizabeth…"

Both of them started speaking, paused to wait for the other to continue, and both started again. Elizabeth laughed and Mr. Darcy let out a chuckle, clearly as uneasy as she. "Oh, this will not do, sir. I am afraid we are quite the silly couple."

"Oh?" He looked down at her intently, his gaze warm and curious.

Elizabeth blushed realizing what she said. "That is, I meant to say, sir…."

Mr. Darcy took pity on Elizabeth; it was his fault after all that she was in such an unexpected situation today. "How do you find my Aunt, Miss Elizabeth?" Elizabeth replied that she very much liked conversing with the Countess. "I did believe you would find much in common with her. You both act very much alike. I do believe my sister and Miss Bennet are quite similar as well. I hope you shall be able to speak to her throughout the course of the evening. Are you to stay for the night here or are you to go to Matlock proper?"

She replied that the Lady Penelope had indeed offered them rooms at Bradbourne and that the hospitality was accepted. Attempting to hide her anxiety at his clear wish for her to get to know his family and see her settled at the estate, Elizabeth paused to toss a rock towards the surface of the lake. She glanced up at him, her brows knitting. "Mr. Darcy, did you tell your Uncle and Aunt to invite us?"

"I may have let it slip to them when Georgiana and I appeared at their doorstep around eight this morning. Uncle was quite put out by the hour," Darcy replied, nodding his head to the rhythm of their steps.

She smiled, now imagining the Earl entertaining his nephew and niece while half asleep. "So early, sir?" Thinking how long it took them to drive from Lambton she realized the Darcys had to have left Pemberley very early, and it was the day after they came all the way from London!

"I did not wish to arrive _late_," he answered in the same light tone, giving Elizabeth a significant look. She did not doubt his meaning. They continued walking for a few moments, Mr. Darcy swishing after an imaginary weed with the stick he had picked up. They were nearing a few willow trees and he made to turn around, though Elizabeth kept walking, running her hand down one of the trailing branches. "To actually answer your question, Miss Elizabeth, a few months ago, they recognized my singular behavior regarding a young woman and expressed an interest to get to know her. My Uncle and Aunt Fitzwilliam are the closest Georgiana and I have to parents since my father passed. When you mentioned yesterday you would be traveling here, I must admit to thinking your Uncle and Aunt may wish to tour this house as well. I realized two purposes could be combined into one." Elizabeth enquired as to his second motive, her hand curling around his arm. Mr. Darcy regarded her for a moment, his gaze steady. "Why, to spend more time with you, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth could feel the deep blush creep up her cheeks and she looked down at her feet.

"Have I rendered you speechless? That_ is_ a singular occasion." He stopped and turned to look at her, holding one of her hands in his own and using his other hand to tilt her chin up. He worried he said too much. Elizabeth grinned at him after a moment and his fears went away.

"It is rare, sir, but that does not mean that it is a bad thing." With now an apologetic smile and a squeeze of his hand she took a step backwards from him. She was quite aware they were in view of both of their families.

Mr. Darcy nodded but did not let her take her hand from his as they started back towards the house. "If I may ask, what did you speak of with my Aunt? You two looked quite conspiratorial, and I feel perhaps the rest of us should be worried about your schemes."

Elizabeth laughed outright at his question, surprised by his playful banter and his ability to easily direct the dialogue away from awkward moments. She had not imagined him to be quite so conversational and was very happy to make that observation. He was clearly more comfortable around his family in Derbyshire than he had been in Hertfordshire and Kent. "We spoke of little of true import, mostly of our families and recent travels." She blushed again, thinking of what the Lady Penelope had leaned close to tell her, but quickly recovered. It would not do to have Mr. Darcy hear what his Aunt said. "Nothing horribly conspiratorial, Mr. Darcy. You are quite safe from us for this evening."

Mr. Darcy laughed heartily. "I can only say how very relieved I am."

A few steps later, Elizabeth screwed up her face. "I said that I have four sisters and she mentioned that she should like to meet them. I imagine that her approval of me would falter quickly upon meeting my mother and Lydia."

Darcy wondered what she meant by his Aunt's approval of Elizabeth, but decided not to question her about it. "She would love Miss Bennet, and I daresay my Uncle _and _Aunt would appreciate your father's wit." Mr. Darcy shrugged. "You are acquainted with my Aunt Catherine, certainly we all have relations we are less than thrilled to admit to in public. We must take the good for the bad."

Elizabeth faltered for a moment. He was accepting of her ridiculous family now? She could hardly pass up the opportunity to tease him about his revelation. "I do believe Lady Catherine and my Mama would get along famously if they ever met." Her jest was met with the same deep laugh that she enjoyed so.

"We should probably come up with a circumstance to make that happen, Elizabeth. I am very curious to see what will follow _that_ introduction."

Elizabeth stopped so quickly that Mr. Darcy walked a half a step forwards and was forced to stop by their joint hands. "What was that, sir?"

It was Mr. Darcy's turn to blush. "I was merely agreeing that the introduction between Mrs. Bennet and my Aunt would be memorable for all involved." He smiled and bowed over her hand again, pressing a kiss on her knuckles, as they had arrived back at the stairs leading to the deck and their families.

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As ever, please let me know what you think! Should he propose to her that evening?


	3. Part 3

There will be three to four more chapters of this. Meh. I'll post the dinner/after dinner chapter soon as well. Thank you to all of the wonderful reviews and follows.

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Part 3:

Mrs. Rochester guided Elizabeth and the Gardiners to their rooms in the guest wing of Bradbourne hall so that they may refresh themselves and change before dinner was served. Elizabeth, still finding no desire to rest, explored her room, finding a door that connected to a semi-private sitting room, complete with large windows and a balcony that overlooked the lake. The entrance of her Aunt and Uncle through a matching door moments later let them know the purpose of the room. The three family members shared a small laugh over the seeming pretentiousness of guests requiring a parlor of their own for entertaining. Elizabeth marveled at the splendor of the rooms, nothing about them was too ostentatious and it was clear that the rooms were well decorated with quality furniture. Again, Elizabeth was reminded greatly of Pemberley and wondered whether the decorations at that house were due to the current generation or the influence of the previous. Either way, it spoke to Mr. Darcy's good sense.

The Gardiners disappeared into their own room again, leaving Elizabeth alone. Having been unable to resist plopping down in a rather comfortable looking chair, she stood back up and explored the room. Upon closer inspection, she found the smaller decorations much more to her taste than she expected. She ran her finger over a waist-height globe and traced the edge of the Continent. Elizabeth was snapped out of her revelry by the appearance of a small, mousy looking redhead. She bobbed a curtsy and spoke to the floor a few feet in front of Elizabeth. The girl, who couldn't be any older than Elizabeth, if she was the same age even, was clearly quite nervous. It wasn't every guest that the Master said requires extra special attention.

"Pardon me, Miss, but my name is Sarah, if you please. I'm here to help you dress for dinner, Miss."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sarah." Not entirely sure of what to do in the event of meeting a maid specifically assigned to her, Elizabeth also dropped into a slight curtsy.

"Thank you, Miss. This way, please."

After some awkward prodding and poking, Elizabeth and Sarah were able to work out a system that left Elizabeth with some sense of independence. Elizabeth was unused to having a maid completely undress her, rather that was something that Jane always helped her with when she could no longer easily reach the stays or buttons. Now that she was down to just her shift and one petticoat, Elizabeth became somewhat nervous. She didn't think that any of the dresses she had brought with her, much less any she even owned, would be appropriate for dining at an Earl's table. It appeared to be a family affair, and certainly they would know that her family couldn't afford the same dressmakers the Fitzwilliams and Darcys could, but that didn't make Elizabeth's nerves lessen. Her appearance at dinner would make an impression on the Fitzwilliams, but that did not suppose that she wanted their picture of her at their table tainted by her modest wardrobe. She worried in vain, but worried nonetheless.

She was too busy fretting over thinking through her wardrobe for something even vaguely suitable to notice the dress that Sarah had pulled from behind a changing screen. "If it please you, ma'am, Miss Darcy offered to let you borrow this. She believes that you and she are similar sizes."

Together, Elizabeth and Sarah managed to get Elizabeth into the shining green satin gown. Indeed, the only problem with the dress was that it was a tad too long for Elizabeth, as Georgiana, though a slight girl, was quite tall for a lady. At this development, Sarah pondered for a moment, went to the closet and pulled out an additional petticoat. Elizabeth was surprised that the additional pouf from one petticoat could fix the problem, but she was proud of Sarah for thinking that out so quickly.

There was a knock at her hallway door, and Miss Darcy peeked in. "Miss Elizabeth? Please forgive my intrusion. I wanted to know… ah." She smiled and clapped her hands together in front of her mouth. "Good. I am very glad it fits."

"Thank you, Miss Darcy for letting me borrow your beautiful dress. Please, do come in."

Georgiana looked unsure. "I do not wish to intrude… I can come back."

"No, please stay!" Elizabeth smiled and paused a moment. "If you are ready for dinner of course."

That seemed like a rather likely thing, as Sarah was Miss Darcy's lady's maid from Pemberley and had already completed her hair and gown before helping Miss Elizabeth. That Georgiana was ready for dinner was the only part of this that Elizabeth could be aware of, however. At being so cheerily invited, Georgiana immediately crossed the room and sat in a chair near Elizabeth while Sarah put Elizabeth's hair back up and pinned it. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, letting the maid concentrate, but when she was almost through, Georgiana spoke up. "Sarah, that looks lovely. You have done a spectacular job with Miss Elizabeth's hair."

Elizabeth wondered for a moment if it was a common thing that the family would know the staff's names, as well as whether it was odd that Miss Darcy knew Elizabeth's current maid. Sarah smiled and bobbed another curtsy to the girl. "Thank you, Miss Darcy."

As Elizabeth looked in the mirror, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her. "Sarah, I think you worked magic, for that lady certainly is not me." The three girls laughed together for a moment before Sarah took her leave.

"I think we still have a few minutes before we should go downstairs," Elizabeth commented, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. She smiled at Miss Darcy. "Thank you for sitting with me."

Miss Darcy beamed back at Elizabeth. "I am glad you and your family chose to stay here with ours. My Aunt already seems to like you very much. I do hope you can find time to talk with my cousins or Uncle as well."

Elizabeth blushed slightly, wondering where Miss Darcy meant to lead this conversation. It certainly seemed like the entire family wanted to speak with her individually. "I would be honored to, Miss Darcy. Will I be able to hear you play the pianoforte this evening? I heard only a moment of your playing yesterday and it was delightful." She desperately wanted to change the subject and hoped the young lady wouldn't mind the abruptness.

Miss Darcy blushed at the compliment. She knew Elizabeth's purpose in shifting the topic to music and could not fault the lady for being apprehensive both of praise and meeting her suitor's entire family (for Georgiana very much believed her brother to be Miss Elizabeth's suitor). If Georgiana hadn't been so curious about and Wiliam so confident in the lady's character to meet any situation presented to her with grace and aplomb, Georgiana would have pressed her brother to have them to dinner the day before at Pemberley. "If there is the opportunity, yes. My brother says you play?"

"I can play, though I do not often have the desire to practice as I should. Your brother once had the misfortune of hearing me pound away at the instrument for an entire evening."

Unused to such language, Georgiana hardly knew how to look at this tease that hurt no one but the teaser. "Be he says you play so well!"

Elizabeth grinned. "I believe this conversation should happen so that he may defend his position." Georgiana laughed at this and asked her if she played duets.

"Only when forced."

Georgiana flashed her a rather impish smile. "We really shall have to speak to my brother then." She glanced at the clock on the mantel and stood up quickly. At Elizabeth's somewhat furrowed brow, she brushed a wrinkle out of her skirt and smiled. "I think we ought to go downstairs now, Miss Elizabeth."

"Let me fetch my Aunt and Uncle," Elizabeth requested, holding her hand out to Miss Darcy to accompany her. "Will you come with me?" The girl nodded and the two walked over to the parlor door to find the Gardiners seated inside waiting for her.

"Elizabeth!" Her aunt called to her. "You look wonderful!" Her Uncle nodded in agreement. Elizabeth blushed and curtsied to her Aunt and Uncle, showing off the lines of the dress. She had not worn an Empire cut, now all the rage in London, before.

"Miss Darcy was kind enough to let me borrow this dress for dinner," Elizabeth took the girl's hand again and squeezed it.

The four made their way down to the sitting room adjoining the family dining room, and the three guests were glad that Georgiana acted as a guide for there were so many hallways and rooms in the manor. They arrived in a sitting room to find the Viscount and Viscountess already seated on a loveseat, he reading a newspaper and she a book, their free hands barely touching between them on the cushion. The two stood and greeted the newcomers. Entering into a short conversation with the future Earl, Elizabeth found them pleasing, and like the rest of the family so far, not pretentious in the least. The current Earl and his Lady were next to arrive, the Earl quickly going into conversation with Mr. Gardiner while the Lady spoke to her son and daughter in law, leaving the three other ladies to chat. Georgiana soon found as fast a friend in Mrs. Gardiner as she had Elizabeth, as the other two were only a few years apart in age and close friends themselves.

Mr. Darcy and the Colonel appeared last, and Elizabeth felt her color rise in response to the clear look of adoration on his face when he spotted her among his other family members. With her eyes only on his face, for he looked incredibly handsome as well, she didn't realize how everyone else in the room had strategically placed themselves to be able to witness the moment. The Colonel chuckled and met his mother's sparkling eyes with a nod. Her plan had worked out well. Richard then rolled his eyes slightly when Darcy just stood there silently and he offered to show Georgiana and Mrs. Gardiner something out the window. They agreed quickly and he escorted them away from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.

It took the man a few more moments to speak, to Elizabeth's great amusement. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You look quite lovely, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled. "I believe this is mostly your sister and the maid's doing. My hair rarely cooperates so well and this dress Miss Darcy is letting me wear is absolutely exquisite."

"Well, that may be, but you look lovely whatever you wear," he commented lightly, causing her to redden again.

She teased him out of course. "I do not remember you being such a proponent of flattery, Mr. Darcy." She squeezed the hand he had yet to relinquish.

He chuckled. "I should likely say something about how I am not trying to flatter you and that I only speak the truth," Mr. Darcy smiled broadly, and Elizabeth could only think he should do so more often. "But I think that sounds very much cliché."

"And very little about you and I fall into that category, sir." Elizabeth teased again with a broad smile of her own. The dinner bell rang, and Mr. Darcy offered his arm to Elizabeth, which she accepted. The pair fell into line behind Richard and Georgiana and ahead of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.

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Please let me know what you thought!


	4. Part 4

Hello All! This is the final part of this. Please let me know what you think because I very much appreciate reviews (favorites and follows are wonderful, but reviews are so much better). As it stands, I have another part written out where the dreaded letters arrive that can likely turn into an epilogue of sorts, but this can also very rightly be ended here. Now that I am done with this, I can move back to OMD and AWAR. But, I digress. I hope you enjoy!

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**Part 4:** After the general shuffle that happened when the gentlemen returned into the room after nearly an hour with the port and cigars, Elizabeth found herself in conversation now solely with the Earl of Matlock and his wife. She saw that Mr. Darcy was again quietly observing her conversation, and apparently the other two noticed this as well. To fulfill his promise from during dinner, the Earl offered to show Elizabeth the Fitzwilliam family portraits in the gallery, parting from his wife with a smile and nod. He guided Elizabeth into the adjacent room and stopped to hover in front of one of the small cases. He gestured to one of the older portraits, according to the style completed nearly sixty years previous. To the lady, it seemed that Mr. Darcy, albeit with slightly lighter shade of hair, was looking up at her. It was as if the Colonel's sandy hair had been painted on Mr. Darcy's face. "You see, Miss Elizabeth, my nephew is almost the exact replica of my father at that age. My father passed when I was two and thirty, meaning Andrew was six, and making Fitzwilliam nearly four. My Father very much adored Fitzwilliam. He loved all his grandchildren, please do not misunderstand me, but he most enjoyed Fitzwilliam's presence, and the feeling was mutual. I believe they would have been very proud of the way his youngest grandson has turned out."

Elizabeth hadn't known that Mr. Darcy's first experience of loss had come so early in his life. To lose a favorite grandparent at such a tender age, when fully understanding the situation is impossible, and then to lose both parents before the age of three and twenty... Elizabeth hadn't thought about it before, but with such a difference in age between the two Darcy siblings, there might also have been a number of sad events in the middle as well, though she knew this was only conjecture on her part. Either way, much of Mr. Darcy's life had been punctuated by deep grief and mourning. Elizabeth, who had only ever known one of her grandparents, the other three having passed before she was born, had barely understood when her Grandmama left their home forever when Elizabeth was five. She could now understand better why Mr. Darcy was so quiet and, quite frankly, slow to form attachments. He was reluctant to extend his emotions to others, but once he did, he felt deeply for the person and was as loyal as anyone could be. Many of the people he cared for in his small family had died, leaving him and his poor sister alone, likely just when they were just recovered from the last shock. Sure, they had the Fitzwilliams a carriage ride away, but an Aunt and Uncle could never completely fill the role of Father and Mother.

The Earl watched as these thoughts and their companion emotions played through Elizabeth's features. The understanding and compassion he saw there convinced him entirely that Elizabeth was the right woman for his nephew. "I am not trying to frighten you, my dear," he commented, gently touching her wrist where her hand had come to rest on the glass display case.

It took her a moment before she replied in a quiet voice and the Earl continued. "Penelope and I care for him as we do our own sons, and more so after George passed. Fitzwilliam will never want for anything that money or power can buy him, but nothing can bring his parents back. It hurt my heart to watch him suffer and lose his boyish wonder and delight in the world. He is too young to carry so many concerns and regrets." Elizabeth could feel the tears building his her eyes at these sentiments. She had never realized, never could have known these things about him. Like the situation with Wickham, it was not likely something he would easily speak of. Putting what the Earl had just told her with what she already knew from Mr. Darcy himself, in the nearly eight and twenty years of his life, in one way or another he had lost many of his closest relations: his grandfather, mother and father, his childhood best friend, and nearly failed to protect his sister from the treachery of said "friend." Elizabeth now could see in a very different light why he had been so aloof. He had a hard time starting to trust people and did not want to form attachments he thought would be so easily lost. On the other hand, once he did allow an attachment to form, it was a lasting one that would not be gotten rid of. The strength of his attachment would be proportional to the loss he would feel, and the compliment to her of being included at one point in the short list of people he loved was now an even greater honor.

"My nephew used to be far more outgoing and affable," the Earl mused, mostly to himself, though he knew Elizabeth was listening keenly. "Much more like his friend Charles Bingley or my own Richard. I should very much like to see that side of him prosper again. His existence, with some few exceptions, is so stark, and if he marries where we wish him to, his wife may tease his lighter side out once again. Penelope and I forced him out into London society in hopes he would find a wife, and much to our dismay, it only made his true character dampen further in the face of the matchmaking mamas. I rue forcing that upon him; we never considered he would find a country lady that suited him so well."

Elizabeth thought through the string of implications in the Earl's words, and coupled with the somewhat expectant look on his face realized his wife had indeed spoken the truth earlier about their approval of _her_. She felt the only proper acknowledgement in this case was a slight nod. She then wondered just how much the Fitzwilliams knew of her rocky history with their nephew.

"I hope you do not find me too, well, forward, Miss Elizabeth. I am very happy to have you and your Aunt and Uncle here as guests. We rarely entertain while in the country and the prospect of doing so more frequently, if only to the Darcy's and their friends" (Elizabeth, even in her somewhat shocked state, could not miss this rather obvious allusion.) "I believe Penelope and I should be very happy to do so." He took her arm and they walked around the outside of the room. He mentioned a few inanities about some of the portraits as they went by. Elizabeth thought she could hear most of this from Mr. Darcy, but realized also he would be unlikely to know some of the more amusing stories about some of their more distant relations. "Indeed, Miss Elizabeth, I find your Uncle a rather intriguing man. I have offered to introduce him to some of my friends in Parliament" (he smiled indulgently at Elizabeth's surprised look) "and in return he has agreed to show me around his warehouses and explain how things work there. In meeting and getting to know him, I find my opinions of tradesmen so far quite altered." Elizabeth realized that by speaking of his nephew and her Uncle in such terms that the Earl was thanking her. In a way he was also complimenting her impact on him and his family without her being officially a part of it. He patted her arm, giving her a moment to compose herself. The Lord Matlock appeared to be speaking praise of the acquaintance with her Uncle in all earnestness, and Elizabeth had no reason to doubt his sincerity. For her Uncle, such a sympathetic connection, or multiple such connections to the peerage would mean wonders for his business.

"I am sure my Uncle greatly appreciates your friendship, my Lord."

"Oh, posh, call me Uncle. I think we are well past the 'my Lord' business, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's eyes widened at the very great presumption there, but she nodded and mumbled something about him calling her Elizabeth or Lizzy. The Earl, seeing her discomfort added: "If you prefer, you can wait until things are a little more settled before you make use of that familiar an appellation for me." He grinned and Elizabeth could only nod, suddenly realizing what it must feel like for others to be subject to her wit. Also, if she had had any question of his approval of her, it was now quite firmly banished.

She glanced up at the tall gentleman at her side. He was an Earl, a member of the peerage, a man from one of the most powerful and wealthy families in Britain, and for the first time felt almost embarrassed to be in his presence. Such emotions as she felt for Mr. Darcy (which she had only completely realized when the Earl was explaining the fullest cause for Mr. Darcy's aloofness), she could not help but feel that everyone else at Bradbourne already knew what she had only just figured out herself. She knew during the day that all of the events were innocent and she now saw them as the Fitzwilliams' and Georgiana's actions way to get to know the lady who had caused their long-quiet Darcy to laugh again. In getting to know her, they were _protecting_ _him and his already beaten heart_. Elizabeth now could only hope to become a part of such a loving and cohesive family and smiled at the Earl after another moment's awkwardness. "Thank you for this conversation, sir. I have learned a good number of things about your family I had not understood before. I very much appreciate your thoughts sir, and will take them into consideration."

"I hope you will, Miss Lizzy," the Earl again patted her hand on his arm, smiling as broadly as she. He very much liked this girl's character, particularly her abilities to keep her composure and speak well even when he was trying to kindly off-balance her. He again noted the similarities between Elizabeth and his own wife. "Now, I should imagine we should rejoin the company in the sitting room."

He showed her into the room to find nearly all of the party seated and conversing happily. Mr. Darcy was standing with Richard and clearly keeping watch on the door, for he came over to Elizabeth and his Uncle almost immediately upon their reentry. Darcy appeared worried and became only more so at the clear evidence that Elizabeth had been in tears. At a soft smile from her, his frown dissipated slightly and he gave his uncle a suspicious look. The Earl shrugged, transferred Elizabeth's arm to his nephew and went to go sit with his own wife. Penelope shot her husband a stern look. Never missing much, she had also observed Elizabeth's state of mild distress. The Countess was soon mollified by her husband squeezing her hand with a look of "I shall explain later" on his face.

Rather than being somewhat confused around him, Elizabeth felt very awkward with Mr. Darcy now. She knew with certainty how she felt for him and was generally aware his feelings had to be similar, but she could not be sure. She let him guide her to the other side of the room and he took a seat next to her on a sofa. "What is wrong, Miss Elizabeth? Did my uncle-"

She reached over and took his hand. "No, I am no longer upset. It was nothing more than I needed to hear, Mr. Darcy." The gentleman was quite surprised at Elizabeth's action, but not unpleasantly so. Her words would have had a completely different meaning had she not done that. He covered her hand with his other one as well and she blushed prettily. Glancing up from her pink face, he noticed that his family (and hers) had turned to face the other side of the room and he smiled at their obvious intention.

"I admitted earlier in hoping you would come to Bradbourne that I wanted you to meet my family… but look," he whispered and nodded his head to their turned backs and quiet conversation. "I did not expect this from them _at all_."

Elizabeth chuckled at the "privacy" she shared with him. "It appears, sir, we played into their game rather well." She paused a moment to wonder if kissing his hand was too forward of her. Her friend Charlotte's voice floated into her mind, when she spoke of Jane needing to show her affection for Mr. Bingley. Since Elizabeth's realization of her… love… for Mr. Darcy had occurred since the last time she was in his company, he would necessarily have no notion of its existence. She decided to take the chance, which she rationalized (hoped was really the better term) was not _that_ great a chance that he still cared for her as well. "Their scheming was not without reward." She brought his hands up to her lips and kissed the back of his right hand before setting their joint hands in her lap rather than between them. He again appeared very pleasantly surprised at this action and took one hand from hers. After a small nod at his silent question, he put his hand on her cheek. She leaned into his hand and smiled.

"Elizabeth?" His whisper had much hope and emotion packed into it. She squeezed the hand still held in hers. "Do you… could you possibly…." He blushed now and paused. His voice was quiet, though it had lost none of the fervor contained in his previous whisper. "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged. Please, Elizabeth." This last part came out as almost begging her.

She completely understood the awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, as she was living through the same as he. Not trusting herself to speak, she took his hand from her face and kissed his palm. He smiled more broadly than she had ever seen him do. He took her left hand and kissed each of her knuckles. "Marry me, Elizabeth."

"Yes," she whispered, smiling.

"Say it," he smiled again. "Please."

"I love you, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and I will certainly marry you." She brought her hands up and pulled his forehead down to touch hers, ever aware that someone could turn around and see them. She did not think they would, but it was a possibility nonetheless. She traced his jaw with her right hand, excited by his slight shudder and giggled. "I feel like our private time may be coming to an end soon, love."

How he adored hearing her say and do such things. "If you would rather keep this between us," he looked upwards to see everyone's backs still turned. Part of him was irked by their clearly planned course of events leading up to an almost as clearly expected proposal of marriage (never try to put anything past one, much less four Fitzwilliams and a Darcy)… but only a small part of him. The rest of him was a combination of grateful for their efforts and living in absolute elation that Elizabeth had agreed to marry him. No amount of irk at his relations' meddling could overcome the newness and greatness of_ that_ feeling. Elizabeth cast a furtive glance behind her and grinned. "As much as I should like to keep this as our secret… I also feel like we would be greatly disappointing them. It would be the cruelest tease I could think of to keep the news from them. They deserve to share in our happiness."

"I am sure my family will be happy to congratulate us," he commented with some joking sarcasm, his visage conspiratorial. He remembered the conversations between him and his Aunt and Uncle early that day that he now assumed Elizabeth had been party to similar ones. "They apparently believed it was a foregone conclusion."

Elizabeth shook her head and smiled. Both knew that it was not always so. "I am so very glad it has turned out this way." She offered her hand to him. "Should we end their anticipation?"

He took her hand and together they stood up. He brought her wrist up to his mouth and kissed the sensitive skin there, feeling her suppress a shudder this time, before letting go of her hands entirely. At her raised eyebrows, he leaned in to whisper in her ear that he had an idea and turned to wink at her. Elizabeth felt her heart race at his nearness and she grinned at him in agreement. They walked separately over to their families, and almost all of them had wide smiles on their faces. All conversation had ceased as they waited for either Darcy or Elizabeth to speak. After taking a good long look at their expressions, Darcy spoke up. "I am sure you will all be _very surprised_ when I say that I have asked Miss Elizabeth to marry me," he stopped. There was a very pregnant pause where all seemed to lean in towards Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, anticipating a continuation of what he said.

Finally, Georgiana could take the silence no longer. "Annnd!?"

Elizabeth smiled and reached for _her_ Fitzwilliam's hand, "and I accepted."

Finis.


	5. Chapter 5 (epilogue)

I actually had this written before I did the last two chapters. This is the epilogue of sorts, continuing in the cheerful tone the rest of the story did.

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Elizabeth let the two letters fall from her numb hands; she could barely believe such a thing, even from her youngest sister! She felt tears well in her eyes as she picked up the two letters and handed them to her Aunt and Uncle, seated near her in the parlor reading their own correspondence.

"Pardon me," she said, her voice hollow and small as she looked at the fourth person in the room. Her new fiancé had returned with them to the parlor after breakfast so they could all see to their business together; he had not wanted to be parted from her before he needed to be. "I have to speak to Mr. Darcy. We shall be outside on the patio." The man stood with worry on his face and followed Elizabeth to the door. He tried to catch her hand, but she pulled her own away quickly. She allowed him to open the door for her, her face angled down. He followed her outside and shut the door. What was in those letters?

"Elizabeth, my dear, what is wrong?" He stood in front of her, his hands on her upper arms. They were in view of her family, but could not be heard by them.

Elizabeth's face was blotchy and he could see the tears in her eyes. "I am sorry, but I cannot marry you, sir!" She blurted this out, nearly choking on the words she could hardly bear to say.

Darcy was shocked. "What?! Whyever not? What happened?" Any anger he could have felt at her taking back her consent was dashed quickly because of her clear unhappiness. He knew she did not mean what she was saying but that she instead felt honor-bound to say it. Something _had_ happened. Knowing but not caring that the action would be considered highly inappropriate, he folded Elizabeth into his arms. She resisted a moment, but he then felt her hands snake around his waist to hug him back. She calmed and pulled away, her eyes red. He raised her chin with one hand, peering down at her. "What news was in the letters, Elizabeth? Is it your parents, my love, is someone hurt?"

"Everyone is in health," she answered, her voice shaky. "But it is the most dreadful news," she continued, looking down and to the side. She put a hand on the balcony railing to steady herself. "Lydia has run away, thrown herself into an elopement… with Mr. Wickham!" Darcy was so shocked he took a half step backwards. Elizabeth let out an unconscious squeak in distress at his movement from her.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. Upon seeing his fiancée looking more despondent than before, he reached for her hand, as much for his own comfort as hers. "Please, if you can, continue."

"Jane's letters were horribly misdirected, and took an extra day to arrive. I do not suppose it was made easier for the post-master by us not stopping in town first," she began. Elizabeth went on to describe the contents of the letters, thankful that he was at least listening to her before he cast her out of his Uncle's home. "My sister's reputation is ruined and to the detriment of us other four. I could not marry you and bring such a mark upon your wonderful family. How they should despise me."

Of the expressions she would have expected to show up on his face, a smile was not one of them. He was angry, of course, and truly he had never been angrier at George than he was at that very moment. Now was not the time to show his anger, but instead he wanted to be a comfort to _his_ Elizabeth when her need was the greatest. "My dear Elizabeth," he put his hands on her cheeks, leaning his forehead on hers. "I could not stop loving you, even when you yourself despised me. I will not stop loving you for your sister's unfortunate choice either."

She clasped her hands around his wrists, and obligingly he removed his hands from her face at her slight pressure. "Sir, there is hardly any way to recover her. My Father has gone to town to find them, but he has so little hope of doing so. I cannot let you suffer for her mistakes."

He knew he would suffer more from not having Elizabeth in his life than he ever would from dealing with George, even if they both ended up married to Bennet sisters. He tried to keep his voice light. "Then it is all the better that I must go to Town to draw up a settlement and obtain the license for our marriage. It is also fortunate I was going to leave this afternoon anyway, for I have some idea of where to look for him." Elizabeth brightened slightly and then gave him a questioning look.

He waved off the last comment as business for him to deal with when the time came. "I would do anything and everything in my power for you, Elizabeth. Know that and never doubt it. We will find him." She looked vaguely worried at the word 'we,' but trusted him. "As for your reputation and that of your sisters', I do believe you have nothing to fear on that front either."

Concern flashed on her face, would he expect her to just ignore her family now that they were engaged? She would never do that, and when she spoke there was an edge to her voice. "How sir?"

"Where are we?" She gave him a dark look, which he ignored. "My dear, where are we?"

"Your Aunt and Uncle's home in Derbyshire."

"And who are they?"

"The Earl and Lady Matlock. Sir, what are you-"

"Bear with me, love. Where did you visit two days ago?"

"Your home, Pemberley, also in Derbyshire."

"Soon to be _our_ home; I will not let you break our engagement for anything less than a complete belief in losing your love for me. I will do everything I can to help you, and I want you to feel comfortable in the knowledge that my Aunt and Uncle will do whatever is required to help you now as well. They, as they mentioned to both you and myself, approve of you. You are a guest in their home and, as of yesterday, my dear, you will be their niece. They care for you very much already and would not want to see you hurt. We none of us will let you suffer for your sister's youthful mistakes. We will help find them and everything will come to a conclusion, and no one will be worse off for it. You and your sisters especially."

"Mr. Darcy…"

"William."

"William," she allowed, a hint of a smile on her face. Darcy swelled at the knowledge his attempt to comfort her worked. "I am so glad to have earned your love and respect and that of your family as well. How am I supposed to thank you for this?"

"Oh, Lizzy," he raised her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He had never called her by that name before, finding he liked it. "You never have to."


End file.
